On Thursday, nearly all of Louisiana's inshore waters will be closed to shrimping, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced Friday.

The closure was necessitated by the increased quantity, distribution and percentage of juvenile white shrimp in these waters. Shutting down the season protects the young white shrimp from harvest, and allows them to grow to marketable sizes for the autumn season, the department said.

Portions of Mississippi, Breton and Chandeleur sounds will remain open to shrimpers. Additionally, live-bait dealers will still be legally permitted to catch shrimp in inshore waters.